dissociate

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UK/dɪˈsəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/UK/-si-/US/dɪˈsoʊ.ʃi.eɪt/

verb

To cease associating; To part.

“After the big fight, the gang totally dissociated from each other.”

Similar
disassociatedivorcedisunitedisjointdecouple
Opposite
associate
OriginLatin dissociō ← Proto-Italic *sokjos ← Proto-Indo-European *sokʷyós →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

verbdissociate (third-person singular simple present dissociates, present participle dissociating, simple past and past participle dissociated)

present singular third person dissociates · participle present dissociating · participle past dissociated · past dissociated

  1. intransitiveTo cease associating; To part.

    After the big fight, the gang totally dissociated from each other.

    Antonyms: associate

    1. intransitivehuman sciencesTo undergo dissociation.

      Gerald checked himself into the hospital because he was dissociating.

      Antonyms: associate

    2. intransitivechemistryTo undergo dissociation.

      Antonyms: associate

  2. transitiveTo cease associating with; to make unrelated; to sever a connection; to separate.

    A number of group members wish to dissociate themselves from the majority.

    Antonyms: associate

    1. transitivechemistryTo separate compounds into simpler component parts, usually by applying heat or through electrolysis.

      We dissociated the lead iodide into its elements by heating

      Antonyms: associate

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo cease associating; To part.

Opposite
associate

verbTo undergo dissociation.

Opposite
associate

verbTo undergo dissociation.

Opposite
associate

verbTo cease associating with; to make unrelated; to sever a connection; to separate.

Opposite
associate

verbTo separate compounds into simpler component parts, usually by applying heat or through electrolysis.

Opposite
associate

More synonyms by meaning

verbpart; cease or break association with

Similar
disassociatedivorcedisunitedisjoint
Broader
separatepartsplit up

verbregard as unconnected

Similar
decouple
Opposite
associate
Broader
distinguishseparatedifferentiate
Also see
decoupledisassociatedisjointdisunitedivorce

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  3. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
  4. Proto-Italic*dis-
  5. Latindis-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*sekʷ-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*sokʷéh₂
  8. Proto-Indo-European*sokʷh₂ṓy
  9. Proto-Indo-European*sokʷyós
  10. Proto-Italic*sokjos
  11. Latinsokios
  12. Latinsocius
  13. Latinsociō
  14. Latindissociō
  15. Englishdissociate

From Latin dissociō + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from dis- (“apart”) + sociō (“join”), from socius (“related, leagued”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian разлагам, отделям се
  • разлагам (razlagam)chemistry: to separate compounds into simpler parts
  • отделям се (otdeljam se)to cease associating
  • откъсвам се (otkăsvam se)to cease associating
  • разделям (razdeljam)to cease associating with
  • разединявам (razedinjavam)to cease associating with
  • дисоциирам (disociiram)chemistry: to undergo dissociation
Catalan dissociar, dissociar
  • dissociarchemistry: to separate compounds into simpler parts
  • dissociarto cease associating
  • dissociarto cease associating with
  • dissociarchemistry: to undergo dissociation
Dutch scheiden, zich scheiden
  • scheidenchemistry: to separate compounds into simpler parts
  • zich scheidento cease associating
  • zich distantiërento cease associating
  • scheidento cease associating with
  • afscheidento cease associating with
  • zich scheidenchemistry: to undergo dissociation
  • dissociërenchemistry: to undergo dissociation
Finnish hajottaa, erota
  • hajottaachemistry: to separate compounds into simpler parts
  • erotato cease associating
  • erottautuato cease associating
  • erottaato cease associating with
  • hajotachemistry: to undergo dissociation
French dissocier
  • dissocierto cease associating with
German aufspalten, dissoziieren
  • aufspaltenchemistry: to separate compounds into simpler parts
  • dissoziierenchemistry: to separate compounds into simpler parts
  • sich distanzierento cease associating
  • zurückziehento cease associating
  • abgrenzento cease associating
  • separierento cease associating with
  • lösento cease associating with
  • abspaltenchemistry: to undergo dissociation
  • scheidenchemistry: to undergo dissociation
  • dissoziierenchemistry: to undergo dissociation
Indonesian memisahkan diri, mendisosiasikan
  • memisahkan dirito cease associating with
  • mendisosiasikanto cease associating with
Irish díthiomsaigh, díthiomsaigh
  • díthiomsaighchemistry: to separate compounds into simpler parts
  • díthiomsaighchemistry: to undergo dissociation
Polish odciąć, rozdzielić
  • odciąćto cease associating with
  • rozdzielićto cease associating with
Portuguese dissociar, distanciar-se
  • dissociarchemistry: to separate compounds into simpler parts
  • distanciar-seto cease associating
  • afastar-seto cease associating
  • dissociarto cease associating with
Spanish disociarse, desmarcarse
  • disociarseto cease associating
  • desmarcarseto cease associating
  • disociarto cease associating with
Tagalog ihiwalay
  • ihiwalayto cease associating with
Cite this entry
APA

dissociate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dissociate

MLA

“dissociate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dissociate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dissociate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dissociate.

Source: dissociate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.